Amusement apparatus.



l PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. 0.. A. cARLsoN. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

I APPLIOATION ILBD MAR 6,1908 2 SHEETS SHEET 1' i INVENTOR- fiAfTOEN-EYS MZM No. 886,762. PATENTED MAY 5, 1908. O. A. GARLSON. V

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAILG, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' WITNESSES: I INVENTOR m h IQ MMM j W a w w/gyw 21 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. GARLSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. CARLsON, a citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings,='

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accomp anying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in amusement apparatus, and particularly to an apparatus including a railway over which passengers are adapted to be carried at a high rate of speed, and in connection with which an illusion device is employed such as is adapted tov give the impression to the pas sengers of a still higher rate of speed. T 0 these ends I provide one or more sets of circular tracks each having thereon a train comprising a continuous ring of cars. These cars are preferably of the automobile type, one or more of each of the cars in the train being provided with motors by which the entire ring of cars may be propelled. I surround the track with a cylindrical wall, and within the track I provide a moving picture device by which pictures of moving scenery may be projected upon the said. surrounding wall. I

'cause the pictures thus projected to travel in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the cars upon the track or tracks whereby an illusion of speed will be produced such as will be equal to the sum of the speed of the cars in one direction, and of the movement of the projecting pictures upon the wall in the other direction.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will now proceed to describe an embodiment thereof, having reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating the same, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in central vertical transverse section through the apparatus. Fig.2 is a view in horizontal sec tion of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in central vertical section through a portion of the moving picture device. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section therethrough upon the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view in horizontal section through a modified form of the moving picture device.

The apparatus shown comprises-two sets of concentric circular tracks 10 andll sur rounded by a wall 12 which is also arranged concentrically therewith. The said wall 12 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 6, 1908.

Patented May 5, 1908.

Serial No. 419,447.

may conveniently form a portion of a general inclosing structure 13 in which the entire apparatus is contained. Admission to and eXit from the space'inclosed'within the tracks is provided for by passageways 14 arranged beneath the tracks, the said passageways having steps or stairways at opposite ends thereof, as will be readily understood from inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Porticos or vestibules 15 may be conveniently employedat the exterior of the structure for inclosing the admission and exit stairways.

Arranged upon the tracks 10 and 11 are two trains of cars 16 and 17. These trains are preferably entirely independent of each other, being connected with each other in no way whatsoever. The said trains each comprise a plurality of cars suitably connected together and driven by any desired means. Preferably one or more of the cars of each train will contain motors by which all of the cars of each train will be propelled, and for a practical construction and system of drive, I refer to U. S. Patent No. 817156 which issued to me, as one of two joint inventors, on April 10th, 1906.

In the center of the structure 13 is a hollow column 18 in which is disposed a moving picture device .19. The moving picture device in Figs. 3 and 4 comprises an annular film or similar transparent picture record 20 within which is disposed a powerful light 21, and without which are arranged suitable lenses. The icture upon the record 20 is thus projected upon the wall 12, and may be held steadily upon the said wall while the trains of cars 16 and 17 is at rest. Suitable means comprising a motor 22 and gearing 23 is provided for rotating the picture device, so that when the trains of cars start to travel, motion may also be im arted to the moving picture device. As be ore stated, however, the direction of such motion will be 0 posite to the direction of motion of the cars W ereby to. reduce the desired illusion of s eed.

Iii Fig. 5 I have shown a modified form of the moving picture device in which the picture record is in the form of a traveling strip 24 one end of which is rolled up upon a takeup roller-25, and the other end of which is paid off from a feed roller 26. The section of the strip between the two said rollers is caused to travel over an annular su port 27 at the back of which a lurality of ights 28 are disposed. Suitable ensesmay,ofcourse,

be employed in connection with this film just as they are employed in connection With the device in Figs. 3 and 4.

What I claim is:

1. An amusement apparatus comprisin an endless track, a car arranged to travel thereon, a Wall surrounding the track, and a moving picture device located Within the track comprising a picture record which travels in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the car upon the track, and means for projecting the pictures upon the said Wall.

2. An amusement apparatus comprising an endless circular track, a concentric circular Wall surrounding the same, an endless train of cars upon the track, and a moving picture device located centrally Within the said track, such moving picture device comprising a film or record strip arranged to travel circularly in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the train of cars upon the track, and means for projecting the said pictures upon the said surrounding wall.

3. An amusement apparatus comprising an endless track, a car arranged to travel thereon, a Wall surrounding the same, a central column, a moving picture device located Within the said column, the said moving picture device comprising a icture record strip arranged to travel circular ly in a direction 0 posite to the direction of movement of t e car upon the track, and means for projecting theupictures of the said strip upon the said We 4. An amusement apparatus comprisin an endless track, a car arranged to trave thereon, a Wall surrounding the said track, and a moving picture device located Within the said track, saidmoving picture device comprising an annular record strip, means for rotating the said record strip in a direction opposite to the direction of movement of the car upon the track, and means for projecting the record of said. strip upon the said surrounding Wall.

CHARLES A. CARLSON. Witnesses:

D. HOWARD HAYWOOD,

LYMAN S. ANDREWS, Jr. 

